Improvement in horse-powers



GORGE B. HAMLlN, OF WILLIMANTC, CONNECTICUT.

Letters Patent No. 106,483,1lated Anf/ast 16, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN 'HORSE-POWERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part. cf thesame To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. HAMLIN, of Willimantic, of findham county,in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new sind usefulImprovements in Horse-Powers; andI do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference heilig had totheaccompanying drawing making part of this application.

lrevious to my invention 'a variety of mechanical contrivancesdesignated as horse-powers have been devised and employed, the Inainobjects aimed at in all being to provide a simple, cheap, and convenientmerhanisn by means of which the draft power of a horse or other animalin motionmay be imparted in th e most economical manner, (that is, withthe least loss of power,) to a suitable driving mechanism for operatingany kind of niachinery.

My invention has for its object to provide a mechanism for thetransmission of animal power to a driving-shaftl'or running alll kindsof machinery, which shall be simpler and more convenient for use, andwhiclnvat the same time, will economise the motive power more than anyother horse-power with which I am familiar; and to these ends,

My invention consists in certain new combinations of mechanical devicesby which Igain t-hese desirable ends, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

To enable. those skilled in the art to malieand use my inventionkI willproceed to describe it morefully, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation ofaho1'se-powermeeh-- anism, made according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a top View of the same;

Figure 3 is an end elevation; and

Figure 4, a vertical section at a; x, iig. 2, of the same..

ln thc several figures the same part lwill be found designated by thesame letter of reference.

rlhe driving-gearing, or the mechanism through the medium of which themot-ive power is transmitted at an increased velocity to the shaft fromwhich it is to be applied to the various purposes required, isillustratcd as heilig arranged on a oor or platform, A,

and it is mounted in two frames or standsB and C.

The frame B has securely fastened to it the two pendent stands orhangers c a, (seen in dotted lines at iig. 1,) in which is hung, withsuitable bea-rings and boxes, the counter-shaft D, and the trame Csupports the boxes or stands l) o d, in which are mounted the shafts c,f, andy.

'lhc counter-shaft 1) carries, on one end, the main driving internalgear E, and the shafts e and g carry, respectively, the pinions F and G,which mesh into, and are driven by the internal gear E.

On each of the shafts` eg is keyed a driving fri;- tion-pulley or wheel,t, and on shaft f is a frictionwheel, 1i.

The three wheels 'i i and 7i. runin contact,and opcrate as will bepresently explained.

The stands or shaft-boxes b c d are all hung so as t-o be capable of aslight increment toward and from cach other, the two marked 7) and lhaving small rubber pads or springs, j j, bearin g a ga-inst. them,supported by head-blocks, k, as clearly illustrated, and operating aswill be presently described.

' The inner end of' shaft f takes its bearing in a journal-box or holeformed in the center or hub of the main gear E.

On the counter-shaftl) is keyed a bevelpiuion,H, which meshes into (andis driven by) a bevel-gear, I, and this gear I is keyed on to the upperend of what I designate the auxiliary power-shaft J, which is .supportedby, and runs in a suitable bearing-box (near its upper end) bolted tothe door or platform A, and a step bearing at K, (as clearlyillustrated,) and which is provided with a sweep or arm, L, to the endof which is attached the usual single-tree M tollitch the animal to.

N is the main power-shaft, which is arranged horizontally' immediatelyoverl the floor A, in suitable boxes, O O, as seen; at one end it iscoupled by a universal joint or ball-coupling to thclowerend of thelink-shaft P, (which is, by a. similar joint, coupled at its upper endto the countcrshaft 1),) and at its other end it is provided with abeviel-piniomR, which meshes into, and is driven by the bevel-gears.

The gear S is keyed on a vertical power-shaft, T, which is supported by,and turns freely in, a step bearing, l, and a box, m, which is sustainedby supporting arms or braces, 11, extending up from the tloor A, asclearly illustrated.

v The power-shaft T is providedwith a suitable sweep or arm, p, and asingle-tree, r, for the application of the animal power.

In the arrangement] have shown, A may be deemed to represent a l'loor ofa barn or building, and the base line at lV a lower floor of coursethere should be a proper track or bed over the shaft N, and around theshaft l, for the horse to travel on, and the lengt-hs of shafting, Sto.,shou-ld be made to suit the circumstances under which the apparatus isto be used.

The operation, it will be understood, is about as foilows:

The animal heilig hitched to the single-tree 1' of the main sweep 1),and made to travel in a circle, as usual, the main shaft'l is rotated,and with it'the bevel-gear S, which drives the pinion R, and thus motionis imparted to the horizontal shaft N. This shaft,

through the medium of the link-coupling P, imparts power and motion tothe counter-shaft D, which drives the internal gear E, and this geardrivues the two shafts e and g, (through the medium'of their pinions FG,) inopposite directions. As the said shafts e g rotate with theirfriction-wheels i fi, the latterimpart lnotion to the interniediatefriction-wheel 71., and by this means the quicli shaft j, (from whichpower is taken for any desired purposed,) is rotated. It will be seenthat by the system of gears, and the large friction-wheels 'i drivingthe smaller one h, the shaft f is driven at a `high velocity, while themain power-shaft T is moved slowly on its axis, and it will beunderstood that by the use of the intermediate friction-wheel h, onshaft f, as shown, and the movable boxes, as described, the shaft j,which runs ata high velocity, is held in equilibrium, and its bearinfsrelieved of all friction, andthat thus a great saving of power overother horse-power The great advantage of the auxiliary power-shaft, andsweep, J L, extending downward from A to \V, as shown, is in renderingthe mechanism capable ot' use under diiferent circumstances, and topermit of the machinery all being putup and worked iu an upper story,from whence the driving-belts can pass from shafts f, while the motivepower is used below. In a great many instances, especially where economyof room is a consideration, this capacity is ofgreat importance. Therecircumstances permit, the main power-shaftand sweep al'e to be used, audwhen neccessary both may be used together to increase the motive power.The gearing being the same, both sweeps may be v'orlied at thesame'speed to drive the countershaft D in common; and when only 011e isused, the

other of the power-shafts and its gear may be detached, to avoid anyloss of power expended in driving the supertlous sweep. It will be seenthat, while the whole construction and arrangement of my improvedhorse-power mechanism is simple, durable, and not liable to derangement,the least possible amount of friction is created, and therefore thevmost economical application ot' the motive power is gained.

Of course the proportions and the detail construetion and arrangement ofparts may be varied at the will of the constructor, without departingfrom the substance ot' my invention.

Having explained the construction and operation of myimprovedhol'se-power, so that one skilled in the art can make and use it,

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The main driving internal gear, and two or more pinions, with theirrespective shafts, and provided with suitable friction-wheels, incombination with a central shaft provided with a frietiowwheel, thewhole arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

.2. A driving mechanism, provided with two or more main power-shafts, soarranged that the driving machinery may be located either on thesame ora (liderent door from that where the motor is employed. substantially ashereiubefore s et forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand `and seal this 16th dayof July, 1870.

GEORGE B. HAMLIN. [L s] XVitliesses: WILLIAM R. PATTES, J. C. LYFoRD.

